Oil change recommended every 10,000 miles officially (5,000 miles if driving on dirt / dusty roads)

Jeeper Defector · Dec 13, 2023

The just released 2024 Tacoma Maintenance Guide (on page 38) recommends oil change & oil filter change every 10,000 miles, unless you drive on dirt / dusty roads then it's every 5,000 miles.

That's much longer than my usual practice. Thoughts on actually going 10K miles before an oil change on a turbo engine?

JBSwine · Dec 13, 2023

There has never been a more compelling reason to use "Your Milage May Vary!"

Kilo19 · Dec 13, 2023

Jeeper Defector said:
The just released 2024 Tacoma Maintenance Guide (on page 38) recommends oil change & oil filter change every 10,000 miles, unless you drive on dirt / dusty roads then it's every 5,000 miles.

That's much longer than my usual practice. Thoughts on actually going 10K miles before an oil change on a turbo engine?

I have a VW Golf R with the 2.0 turbo engine, they also have every 10k as the recommended oil change interval, however I will usually change it around 6k to be on the safer side. It isn't tracked or auto crossed but driven "spiritedly". I figure a bit more expense in oil is worth the prevention, no idea if it truly matters for my car, but I can see the benefit around dusty trails and exposure to more possible contaminants than usually found on asphalt roads.

jcwls3 · Dec 13, 2023

Jeeper Defector said:
Thoughts on actually going 10K miles before an oil change on a turbo engine?

I’ve owned a number of high-output twin-turbocharged cars and SUVs, all German. The manufacturer filled the sump with Mobil 1 full synthetic at the factory, and recommended yearly oil and filter changes or 10K miles, whichever comes first.

My wife and I have had zero problems, and these are highly stressed, high-RPM engines in the 450 to 550 horsepower range — V6, V8, flat-6, etc. Considering the horrendous expense (not to mention bad press) of an oil-related engine failure, I figure the manufacturer knows what it’s doing.

Same here with Toyota. As long as OEM oil is full synthetic, with the same being required at all oil changes, I can’t envision it being an issue.

Kielly · Dec 14, 2023

Most newer vehicles will vary it's maintenance warning on how you drive, I expect Toyota does the same. I tend to drive my shit like it's a Formula 1 so I go more often than the recommended for changes.

Independence Overland · Dec 14, 2023

Most vehicles are this way these days. Toyota as well as other manufacturers run the hell out of these things on the dyno and have switched to 10k changes because they have crazy amounts of data to pull from. I tend to follow with what they suggest.

I have seen articles over the years that people who change their oil really early, like 3-4k, often introduce more contaminants than they are changing out. Its been years since I read the article, so I cant reference it specifically. So when people say "it doesn't hurt to change it sooner" isn't necessarily always true.

JustAnotherDingus · Dec 14, 2023

I tend to get my oil changed every 6 months or 5-6k miles ~ whichever comes first. Currently driving a 4cyl single turbo wagon. My owners manual does recommend the 10k oil change for “regular use” but that definition is a little fraught to me plus I’m pretty sure each manufacture defines it a bit differently.

For me, since I drive a ton for work and far more than what I assume an average person drives per week (hundreds of miles and on the rare occasion 1K miles) I get oil changes and basic maintenance done on a quicker cadence cus I fall into the “heavy use” category for my vehicle. I think with stuff like this it’s all about checking what your manufacturers parameters are for light, medium, and heavy duty use and getting on a maintenance schedule which reflects it. ~ so everyone will be a bit different I imagine.

Lando · Dec 15, 2023

There is videos out of failed Toyota/Lexus engines at 150,000 miles that had oil changed at 10k intervals. 150,000 miles is low for a Toyota.
I’d say change oil at 5000 if you want to keep your Tacoma for many miles long term. If you are in it for a few years and under 100,000 miles do what you want.
I have changed oil many times, never heard of introducing contaminants by doing it too much following proper oil change procedures.

StreeTaco · Dec 15, 2023

5k changes regardless here, simple insurance

MJE · Dec 15, 2023

Here not surprisingly the dealers have plenty of excuses to call your use ‘severe duty’ & put your car into the 5K (8,000kms) service club. Which of course is sooner than the car’s computer calls for at 10k. I’ve always gone 5K, figuring what can it hurt for some good preventative maintenance like so many others here, but didn’t think until I read IO’s post, that it might do more harm than just the cash cost of increased maintenance.

DAFFYDOHC · Dec 15, 2023

I'll stick to 5k miles but I'm sure some dealerships won't change your oil until 10k or a year.

jcwls3 · Dec 17, 2023

This link is interesting:

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-auto-takes-ws-transmission-fluid-226181.html

I figured full synthetic as recommend oil, which is confirmed here as 0W-20 and 5W-20. So that’s good.

However, I see the small sump size (<6 quarts) as problematic for 10K oil changes. The smaller the sump, the more concentrated the contaminants over time. My 911 holds 9.2 quarts of Mobil 1; my wife’s Macan GTS, 8.0. Both as noted earlier are 10K factory oil changes, and both are turbocharged like the Tacoma (twin turbos in both cases).

If we buy a Trailhunter or TRD Pro, assuming the oil capacity is the same tiny 5.x quarts, I’m revising my initial thoughts regarding change interval. I agree that six-month / 5K oil changes might be the right choice.

paulbdotcom · Dec 17, 2023

My thoughts (ASE Master Tech 30+ years and former Toyota Master Tech)

I've experimented with this. At 5K, oil looks clean. It doesn't start to look like it needs to be changed until around 7K.

Toyota has done testing and obviously they know best. But- severe conditions dictate otherwise. Here in New England, I recommend BEFORE 8K. This is from my experience. I did 10K for first 20k miles; now I do 7K.

Cheap insurance. Also, with so many valve trains relying on proper oil manintence due to hydraulic valves (tensioners and cam phasers), I believe 10k is too long for varied climates.

Oil change recommended every 10,000 miles officially (5,000 miles if driving on dirt / dusty roads)

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